


Forging Stronger Bonds

by SymphonicFantasia



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Keith and Pidge basically bonding over missing Shiro, Kidge - Freeform, Mentions of Sheith, Season 2 spoilers, mentions of Shiro, this is pure platonic between keith and pidge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-24
Updated: 2017-01-24
Packaged: 2018-09-19 15:36:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9447845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SymphonicFantasia/pseuds/SymphonicFantasia
Summary: “Pidge, you’ve been up for more than a week. You need to rest.”Keith.“I’m fine,” she muttered, fingers typing faster on the screen. Honestly, she doesn’t even know what she’s looking for or how to go about it. Which is ridiculous because she doesn’t believe that Shiro can’t be found. He’s out there somewhere.





	

She couldn’t remember the last time she slept. If she did, it was only cat naps-ten minutes at the most. She would be lucky if it was for half an hour, but then she was up, working at her lab like her life depended on it. 

It was not her life that depended on it, but Shiro’s.

Shiro, their strong and valiant leader.

_Shiro_ , the one who gave them encouraging words when they needed them.

_Shiro_ , who gave them all a glimpse that he was _capable_ of being angry about something as much as Keith and Lance were. 

_Shiro_ who was _gone-_ vanished into thin air after their fight against Zarkon. 

Pidge took off her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose. There was a migraine making itself known once again. She had been able to suppress it for the time being, but it always came back stronger than ever. But she wouldn’t let it make her stray from her focus. Pidge pushed on, her fingers moving across screens and buttons.

This was the only thing that succeeded in distracting her from the emotions that loomed over her head. The emotions that would consume her if she allowed them to. And she couldn’t let them, not right now. She allowed herself to get carried away with her emotions when they found out that he was gone--now was not the time to let it happen again. Her team needed her-- _Shiro_ needed her. 

And  just  like that, the feelings dropped on her like a piano and she was back before this all happened. Back before her father and brother’s trip to Kerberos when she was only ten. A time when she first met Shiro and how he made a joke and got her to open up to him--how he got her to open up about her latest experiment, a little robot that would help wash the dishes. The very same robot that sparked and went out of control after Shiro urged her to give it a test drive. 

He didn’t tease her for her failure or made her feel terrible that it didn’t work. In fact, his laughter seemed to be one of joy and he encouraged her to keep trying and to keep working on it until she worked out all the kinks and got it to work one hundred percent. Shiro was different from the other colleagues her father and brother had. He became family from that point on, coming often for dinners over the years. 

Shiro became a brother to her since he kept an eye out for her  just  as much as Matt did. When the Garrison dubbed them as KIA, she didn’t believe it from the moment the news announced it. Because she had seen Shiro  fly, had been in a ship with him and seen how  carefully  and  expertly  he piloted. There was no way that their ship could have  been lost  due to a pilot error. And now Shiro was back and ready to help her find out where they had her brother.

_Was_. He _was_ here and now he was _gone_. 

Pidge came back to herself, taking deep breaths. A thin film of sweat decorated her forehead. Her heart rate was through the roof and it hurt more than anything she had ever felt.  She could only imagine that a few of the fragile tendons had snapped when they first learned of Shiro being gone. It was what it felt like, at least. 

The Green Lion's hangar door swished open and Pidge focused more on the screens before her. If she was lucky, they wouldn’t bother her. They’d hang around for some time and then walk away, knowing that trying was fruitless.

“Pidge, you’ve been up for more than a week. You need to rest.”

_Keith._

“I’m fine,” Pidge muttered, fingers typing faster on the screen.  Honestly, she didn’t even know what she was looking for or how to go about it. Which is ridiculous because she didn’t believe that Shiro can’t  be found. He was out there somewhere. 

“No, you aren’t. Have you even eaten since--”

Pidge gave him a hard look, silencing him for once. She moved to a different screen, working on it instead.

“That gives me my answer. Come on. Let’s get you something to eat and into bed.”

The hand on her shoulder was unexpected  and she smacked it away. Pidge glared at him, taking further steps to distance herself from him. “Don’t touch me. I’m not stopping until I find Shiro. And the rest of my family.” She hated herself for adding it on last minute. It made her feel like her brother and father didn’t matter as much as Shiro did. 

“You and I both know that Shiro wouldn’t want you to overwork yourself like this, Pidge,” Keith reminded, stepping forward. 

“Don’t tell me what Shiro wouldn’t want!”

This stopped him and they stared at each other. Pidge didn’t drop her hard stare and Keith didn’t pick one up--which was unusual and unexpected. Keith was a literal fire and was quick to act, burning everything, and anyone, in his way. She expected an argument, a fight, because she _wanted_ one,would  because it help her release all the tension that was building up in her since they got back to the castle after the battle. 

“Pidge, I’m not here to argue with you,” Keith said. It bothered her that he seemed to have seen through her ploy. “You and I both know that Shiro would want you to sleep and not  just  him but the rest of the team. We _need_ you, Pidge. We can’t do any of this without you.” 

The way Keith said it angered Pidge even more. That here he was, saying words that Shiro would say to her if she was up all night working on something. Words that he would say as he slipped into her hanger and placed a hand on her shoulder. A touch that was currently  being replicated by  Keith. 

Pidge smacked the hand away and backed further away, bumping into her other workstation. “Shut up! You can’t _possibly_ understand what I’m feeling right now!”

And she was so sure that he didn’t because what bond she had with Shiro _couldn’t_ be taken over by anyone else. Those brotherly touches that guided her through to the kitchen and watched her eat something before guiding her to bed. Those words that she heard late at night when everyone else was asleep and neither of them were ready to go to bed yet. How Shiro would listen to her about plans for when they got back to Earth, her brother, and father in tow.

" _I_ can’t understand what you _feel_?” Keith questioned. 

His voice was angry and raising to that octave to further prove that he was so. Keith stepped forward and Pidge was ready to fight if she had to. She could take Keith on in a fight. She hopes.

Hands grabbed her shoulders and Pidge’s sought for his chest, ready to push him away. Keith’s words stopped her,

" _I just  lost the man I loved!"_

Pidge fingers dug into his shirt. Keith was out of breath, puffs of air ghosting over her face. Someone else, Lance or  maybe  even Hunk, would see this confession as friendly. Shiro and Keith go back before Kerberos--they had history together, so of course, they would love each other like that. 

This confession was so raw, so powerful that it shook Pidge to her core. This wasn’t simplya friendly confession. 

Keith took his hands back and stepped away. He ran his hands through his hair and turned away from her. Pidge wiped at her face, willing herself to stop crying. She didn’t know when it started. Turning her attention to the screen, she tapped a few buttons until the screens went black.

“Can we go get something to eat…?” Pidge whispered.

“Sure,” Keith answered after a sniffle.

Pidge followed him as he led the way out of the Green Lion’s hangar. The halls of the castle were quiet.  The others were off doing their own thing, trying to distract themselves from losing their leader.  Hunk would be cooking or hanging with Lance, who would be messing around with his bayard, creating pick up lines, or doing something to his face.  Allura and Coran, she figured, would be doing the same thing she was moments before: trying to figure out how they would find Shiro. 

The kitchen was,  thankfully, empty.

Pidge jumped up onto the counter and twiddled her thumbs. She wasn’t hungry, even though she was the one who suggested they get something to eat.  Keith was messing around with the controls, making something that she could only assume was  just  normal goo. Keith was not a culinary artist like Hunk.

Two bowls were filled and Keith shoved one in Pidge's lap. He walked around to the other counter and hopped on top of it, his back facing her. 

Things felt awkward between them as they ate. Pidge had never meant to push Keith into confessing anything. She didn’t know that there was anything _to_ confess. Taping her spoon against her bowl caused him to grunt at her to stop and she did. It was only because she wanted to ask him questions that were flying around her head. It was only to distract her from blurting them out loud so that everyone in the castle could hear her. 

“How long have you felt that way about him?” Pidge finally asked. It was a whisper and she hoped he could hear it. The question felt like precious cargo, ready to break at the slightest of touch. Even worse, it felt like it was still strong enough to break what little bond the two of them had.

Keith remained quiet for a few ticks. “Not that long. Sometime after we became paladins.”

That was not long at all. Pidge kicked her feet back and forth, making a slight rhythm against the counter. “Have you told him?”

“No.”

“Are you going to?”

“What’s with the twenty questions?!” Keith snapped. Pidge could feel him glaring at her back.

“Sorry,” she muttered before shoveling a spoon of goo into her mouth. That didn’t go as well as she planned. Not that it was an excellent plan in the first place.

“It's just  … There never seemed to be a good time to tell him…” 

“Well, we are in the middle of a war.”

“Exactly.”

“It’d be irresponsible for you two to have any sort of relationship while this is going on,” Pidge finished. She hadn’t realized how awful it sounded until it actually came out of her mouth. She groaned and covered her face with her hand. “Wait, that’s  just  \--” 

“You’re right, though. As usual.”

That was  _not_ something she wanted to be right about. It hurts to be right about something like _this_. Yes, Pidge right, but she hated it, for once. 

Hopping down from the counter, Pidge moved closer to Keith. He had his eyes trained on his bowl, the goo inside having no signs of  being touched  at all. Pidge wished she knew what to say at this moment. It was so hard for her to put her words together. Computers and her experiments were so much easier to talk about.

Feelings? Emotions? Those were things she couldn’t figure out, no matter how hard she tried, in the past and in the present. 

What could Pidge say now that will bring Keith up from the state of despair that he had put himself into? The very same state of despair that Pidge had put herself in and dragged Keith down with her?  It seemed to her that he had been trying to keep his head afloat through the past few days, trying to keep collected for the sake of his team. 

Just  like Shiro would. 

_Exactly_ like Shiro would. 

Running a hand down her face, Pidge tried to gather her thoughts on what she wanted to say next. She was afraid of saying the wrong thing, afraid of hurting Keith again. This entire team was depending on him. They _needed_ him right now as the new Black Paladin of Voltron. 

Pidge let out a shuddering breath and moved forward until she’s able to wrap her arms around Keith’s waist. She buried her face in his side. Keith didn’t say or do anything, too shocked by what was happening. Pidge tried not to smile at the curse he quietly breathed out. He may be their new leader, but he was still the same old Keith. 

“I’m sorry,” Pidge forced out of her dry throat.

“It’s… it’s okay…”

Pidge stepped away and rubbed at her eyes. The tears were stinging and she didn’t want to cry. Not right now when there was something more important that she could be doing. “So… You and Shiro, huh?”

“Pidge, don’t.”

She only grinned, ready to tease Keith from the depths of the castle to the bridge. “And why not? I mean, you’d guys be cute together. Like, you two are already so close and you guys have your inside jokes--”

“I will hit you.”

Laughing, she hopped onto the spot beside him. “Alright. I’ll stop for now.” The tension slipped away like sands in an hourglass. She kicked her feet back and forth. This felt nice in its strange and odd way. Pidge had a different kind of closeness with the others, something that was different from how she and Shiro were together. “I liked how he never gave up on believing in someone. They’d make little mistakes and he always knew that they’d still do great things.” 

Keith smiled, an honest smile that Pidge had never seen before. Smiles that were most  certainly  reserved for Shiro when they were alone. “Yeah. He never gave up on me, not once. I liked how he’d pat me on the back when I got something right--” 

“Or squeeze your shoulder or ruffle your hair.”

Hours passed by between them like this.

Trading stories of Shiro’s little quirks or the friendly way he was before the Kerberos mission happened. Dirt that only Pidge knew that she  happily  supplied to Keith. Seeing his puppy dog stare and dreamy eyed look made betraying Shiro’s trust worthwhile. She’d deal with that when he came back to them.

_If_ he came back to them. 

The ship chimed, signaling the daylight hours. This must mark the 10th day she’s been awake. At that realization, Pidge's exhaustion came down on her like a warm blanket.

Pidge yawned, covering her mouth. She wiped the tears from her eyes  just  as Keith placed a hand on her shoulder. It was a gentle push to get her down from the counter and he followed after her. Keith's hand was still guiding her through the halls and towards the barracks, a constant pressure in the middle of her back. Pidge was  nearly  asleep on her feet when they reached her room. 

Keith opened the door for her and continued to guide her in. Pidge absentmindedly  kicked off her boots and climbs into her messy bed. Keith covered her as she curled up in on herself, fetal and looking smaller than she ever had before. 

“Good night, Pidge,” Keith whispered, hovering at the door.

“Good night, Keith…” she muttered back, burying her face into her pillow.

_Good night, Shiro._

**Author's Note:**

> I'm still crying over the season 2 finale. It's been almost a week. WHERE HE AT, THOUGH?!
> 
> Anyway, aside from being a Sheith shipper, I really love the dynamic between Shiro and Pidge (if that wasn't obvious). I want to talk about how badly Pidge is probably going to miss Shiro and everyone's focused on how Keith is going to react. What about the other paladins? And Allura and Coran? Like, I'm sobbing. How dare this happen.


End file.
